


To Court A Village

by FanFictionEngineer



Series: Gaalee Bingo 2020 [9]
Category: Naruto
Genre: A "5+1" fanfic, Courting Rituals, Gaalee 2020 bingo, Gaara also tries his best, Gaara is 16 and Lee is 17, Lee tries his best, M/M, Set a few months after the Suna chunin exam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFictionEngineer/pseuds/FanFictionEngineer
Summary: The Kage of a Hidden Village is its strongest shinobi. They can be loved, feared, or hated by its inhabitants.To court a Kage of a Hidden Village, the shinobi must first impress the village.Too bad no one told Gaara that.Or: the five times Lee gave Gaara a gift, and the one time Gaara gave Lee oneGaalee 2020 BingoGreen Card 1 - LITTLE GIFTS
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Series: Gaalee Bingo 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948663
Comments: 49
Kudos: 118
Collections: GaaLee Bingo





	1. Youthful Love and the First Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_gay_poster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_gay_poster/gifts).



> I've seen other people post for this prompt and I was like, "Oh, so simple but straightforward". Then there is me (looks at work count, like seriously looks at the word count).  
> So just a note, Lee is technically one year older than Gaara and Naruto (as in Part II Lee is noted to be 17 in the wiki), so I made Gaara be 16.
> 
> Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All spelling and tense errors are my own.  
> Note, I have no idea how courting would work in the Naruto world. So I just based this off the Conjunx Ritus: four acts of affection and mutual kindness from the Transformers universes and edited it from there.
> 
> This fanfiction is for a_gay_poster, a fantastic Gaara/Lee fanfic writer here on AO3 who has written many fics I find myself rereading over and over again. I recommend checking them out if you havent read any of their work.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_gay_poster/pseuds/a_gay_poster

It hits Lee out of nowhere and continues to pummel him, like Neji’s Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. It’s enough to make him lose his grip and fall down the tree he was training in, hitting several branches on the way. It seems to cement into his thoughts as he lays there on the forest floor, in various amounts of pain, looking up the branches and into the blue sky.

He was in love with Gaara of the Sand.

Lee has always felt strongly and he loved all of his friends and his teacher; they were his Nakama, his family since he lacked a physical blood one. But, as his heart twisted, this was different.

He was **in love** with Gaara.

He was in love **with Gaara**.

He licked his lips and grimaced when he tasted the metallic tang of blood. Well, that was evident on why his nose hurt as it does. Lee pulled himself up, and leaned against the ancient tree trunk, pulling out a small first aid kit.

As he went through the auto-pilot motions of cleaning himself up, he felt his thoughts wandered. So he was in love, the first step to dealing with a problem was admitting you had a problem but was him being in love with Gaara a problem?

Lee frowned as he scolded himself. Of course, it would be a problem. Gaara was a fine shinobi, having overcome his bloody past and dangerous power, allowing him to lead his village as the Kazekage. As a result, Sunagakure had entered an era of peace, building a strong alliance with Konohagakure. He was handsome, strong, a genius-

And completely out of Lee’s league and expected to marry either a high noble or skilled kunoichi, capable of doing ninjutsu and genjutsu, to produce an heir when he became of age.

Lee felt a pang as his traitorous mind let scenes unfold before his eyes. Gaara meeting some beautiful nameless lady, the two of them talking and laughing, Gaara smiling that small smile that always made Lee’s heart feel light, the two dressed to impress on their wedding day, the two of them having a family together.

It honestly made his heartache. Thinking about Gaara **being with** someone else, of him **loving** someone else.

Lee groaned as he rubbed his eyes. That was enough of thinking like that, he had training to do. And then he had to make his way to the Mission Desk.

He was in need of a great youthful solo mission! Something fast-paced, action-filled, that would push him to become a splendid ninja!

* * *

Mission Rank C. Goal: to escort Mihara Daitan to see his wife’s grave that laid on the edge of the Land of Fire, where it bordered the Land of Wind. Payment of 30,000 Ryo would be supplied by Mihara-san after they return to Konohagakure.

Simple, straightforward, nothing too concerning. It was also utterly boring. Lee never thought that this kind of thought would cross his mind. Even on simple genin missions, he had had his teammates and his sensei. But now it was just him as Tenten was on a solo mission and Neji was dealing with Hyuga family affairs.

At least the pay was decent for someone of Lee’s rank since he had been granted the title of chunin. It would be also another mission under his belt and count towards the minimum completed missions needed for someone to achieve the rank of jonin.

The only good thing about this mission was that it would help pass the time for Lee. He had been chosen, as well as Sakura, Shikamaru, and Choji for a specific joint mission with Sunagakure. In order to build more trust and bonds between the two villages, small teams would be exchanged to help with numerous tasks. Lee wasn’t sure what they were going to do once in Suna but Lee couldn’t wait.

Lee eyed Mihara-san, a still fit man in his late 70s with tanned skin, short black hair and gray eyes, dressed in a red working shirt, black pants, and brown boots as they walked side by side slowly, or at least slow in Lee’s opinion. He had only said three sentences to Lee and hasn’t spoken since they left the village.

Lee longed to run through the trees or to scout or even make Mihara-san climb onto his back to make the trip go faster. But when Lee had made the suggestion early, all he had gotten was a sour look.

“If you keep twitching like that I am going to assume there are rogue ninja I should be worried about,” drawled Mihara-san, his voice deep.

“Sorry,” Lee flinched. He tensed his muscles and resolved to keep a steady pace beside Mihara-san or he would-

“Let’s take a break,” Mihara-san announced. He walked over in his slow but confident pace to stand in the shade of nearby oak trees. Lee followed, bouncing on his toes as Mihara-san sat down on the roots.

Mihara-san regarded Lee for a moment before pointing down, a signal for Lee to sit as well. Lee felt a small itch of irritation at being treated as a child but he obeyed. Mihara-san was his client at the moment, it would be best to follow him until the mission was completed.

“You have a lot on your mind,” Mihara-san started, his grey eyes seeming to bore into Lee’s black eyes. “I rather not pry into the affairs of shinobi, but I think there is more on your mind than this mission and the mission waiting for you back at Konoha.”

Lee started at Mihara-san in surprise and alarm. “How did you know?”

Mihara-san gave him an unimpressed look, similar to how a parent would give their unruly child when they had enough of their tantrums. “I may be old, but my ears and eyes still work. There have been plenty of whispers about Suna, even someone with wooden ears like me would hear about them. I also have raised children, and have also helped raise my grandchildren. I think I would notice the signs of a love-struck teenager.”

Lee winced in sympathy for the ANBU. It was their job to keep some knowledge away from the general populace but gossip and rumors abounded despite their best efforts at times. Plus it didn’t help that Teuchi of **Ramen** **Ichiraku** and the bar owner of the **Tipsy Stag** knew as many secrets as the ANBU themselves knew.

Lee then blushed when Mihara-san words of ‘love-struck teenager’ echoed in his skull. He had thought he had hidden the signs that he was in love. Maybe he shouldn’t have been as excited when he was chosen for the special Suna mission. Or that they would be working closely with Gaara. Or that-

“So?” asked Mihara-san, interrupting Lee’s internal monolog. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

Lee felt a ball of ice form in his gut. Opinions may have changed about same-sex relationships and same-sex marriages but that didn’t mean everyone was tolerating such a change in dynamics.

“So, a boy then?” Mihara-san ventured. Seeing Lee shocked face, he added. “Don’t look so surprised kid. It’s kinda obvious that you’re as straight as a hula hoop. No one dresses like you, _which there is nothing wrong with_ , and is straight as an arrow. Hell, your sensei, Maito Gai, he’s bisexual.”

Lee blinked as he filed away that bit of information. He wasn’t sure what he would do with it but Lee was sure it was important. Any wisdom from his teacher was wisdom treasured.

“So?” Mihara-san asked again. “How about I give you some old geezer wisdom? Never hurts to hear about relationships from others.”

Lee felt the two sides of him protest. One side argued that what he felt for Gaara was special, private, that only his sensei would give him the correct knowledge on what to do. But the other side argued that Mihara-san had a point, that love was different for each person, to take knowledge from one place would make it stale and rigid.

“You don’t have to tell me right now,” Mihara-san said as he stood up. “We have time to get to my wife’s grave and then we still have to walk back to Konoha. So whenever you feel like chatting an old man’s ear off, it’s there.”

And with that, Mihara-san stood up and continued to walk down the road. Lee just sat there longer than he should before he jumped to his feet and ran after him. Lee pondered over Mihara-san words as the two walked in silence. They walked in silence until it was dark and they made camp on the side of the road.

The fire seemed to dance and Lee’s tired but also active mind seemed to make shapes in the moving flames and glowing embers. Lee looked up to see Mihara-san drinking a cup of tea that he had made and was regarding Lee with a look of patience and ‘I honestly have nothing better to do right now’.

“He’s…..a ninja,” Lee began. Mihara-san nodded before placing his mug down on the ground, giving Lee his utmost attention.

“He is one year younger than me. And he is…..truly a splendid ninja. I can see why I would feel strongly for him but I do not think he would…..feel the same for me. I am not as special as him.” Lee felt his heart flutter as his body seem to adsorb strongly the heat from the fire. Truly Gaara made him feel alive.

“Is he a fellow classmate?” Mihara-san asked.

Lee shook his head before nervously adding, “He is…not from our village.”

Mihara-san raised an eyebrow as he grabbed his mug to take a sip. “So which village is he from? Suna?”

Lee nodded, feeling his face grow hot. He watched as Mihara-san take a sip before adding. “He’s the Kazekage”

Mihara-san eyes went wide as he spat the tea out, making the fire sizzle and the embers spit out sparks.

“The Kazekage!? The demon child of the sand!? As in Gaara of the Sand!?” Mihara-san exclaimed, looking shocked. Lee bit his lip to stop himself from defending Gaara, that he was no demon child, but Mihara-san only spoke what he knew, which was as much as any civilian of the Land of Fire that had only heard whispers about the truth of the invasion.

Lee didn’t meet Mihara-san eyes as he stared into the fire, his face feeling so hot that his eyes watered.

“You never do anything half-assed do you kid?” Mihara-san muttered as he rubbed his eyes with one hand, using the other to place his mug down. “Why fall in love with someone as plain as a ninja of your own rank? Why not aim for the moon and land among the stars?”

“Listen, kid” Mihara-san voice was serious, his gray eyes like a stone. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think you have much of a chance of a relationship.”

Lee leaped to his feet, tears prickling at his eyes as he yelled. “I know!”

Mihara-san looked stunned as Lee continued on his outburst. “I know that what I feel could not or would not be reciprocated! I know that I am a ninja that can only use taijutsu and that someone like me would never be considered as an opinion! But I still feel like this, this….this feeling of heaviness and happiness! And it’s only for Gaara, no one else. So do not remind me that I am doomed to fail before I can even try!”

Lee was breathing heavily as if he had just done an ultimate youth challenge with Gai-sensei. His vision blurred as large tears dripped down his face and Lee could feel his nose beginning to become runny.

Mihara-san closed his mouth, took in a deep breath, and let out a sigh of sighs.

“Sorry kid,” Mihara-san started. Lee was still breathing hard but at least he had stopped crying. “It looks like you have given this some serious thought. Most of your age wouldn’t. Guess that’s what separates you from the civilians.

“But the thing is kid, is that Suna ninja only respect strength and it’s mostly the strength of chakra and ninjutsu. The only reason why you got your chance was because of your mentor, Maito Gai, who proved that it’s possible for someone to become a splendid ninja using only taijutsu.”

Lee felt a lump form in his throat as tears became to build up again. Truly he was lucky to have such a wonderful teacher like Gai-sensei. It was all thanks to him that he had a chance to become a splendid ninja at all.

“But are you really content to not try at all?” Mihara-san asked. The lump in Lee’s throat became a stone that was trying to choke him. Was he fine with loving Gaara from the sidelines? Content to watch and never say a word of his love to Gaara?

“You’re not,” Mihara-san concluded, watching the emotions play across Lee’s face. He let out another long sigh as he rested his chin on his right hand.

“I…..I know that I cannot compete with others who would vie for his hand,” Lee whispered, ache in his chest back with a vengeance the day he realized he loved Gaara. ”But how will I ever know what will happen if I don’t try? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I…..I want to try, to know that I gave it my best shot and that I can live with no regrets.”

Mihara-san regarded him before replying. “I can understand that.”

Lee looked at Mihara-san as he continued. “It was the same for me and my wife. Her family was citizens of Suna that moved for better opportunities up north, in the Land of Lightning. They were traveling and got stuck when the mountain passed closed up for the winter so they stayed at the inn my mother owned and operated.

“Over the course of those months, we talked and became friends. But then I realized I had fallen in love with her. I was at war with myself, to say something or let her go. In the end, I decided to not say anything and let her go, so that she could be with her family. Those weeks after she left were hell. It felt like my heart was being torn to shreds. The thought of her finding someone else to make her happy made me so ill.

“Eventually my mother got sick of my mopping and hired a shinobi from Konoha to be my bodyguard so that I could find her and talk to her. When I finally saw her again, it was like all that pain disappeared. I asked her to marry me right there, and she agreed. Her family left without her and she came back with me. And we lived together for a happy 50 years until her passing."

Lee stared at Mihara-san in amazement. What he had just said, it sounded so much of what Lee was going through, of what Lee could go through. Maybe it was the romantic and optimistic part of him that hoped that Lee could have that kind of future as well.

“If your serious about starting something with the Kazekage, then you have a serious uphill battle ahead of you kid,” Mihara-san stated. Lee gave a quiet snort, when has he had an easy battle? He would be willing to find 1000 S-class rogue ninja if it gave him the chance to be with Gaara.

“But it is doable. The biggest thing is that you’re not just interested in a Suna ninja, it’s the Suna Kazekage. To impress him, you have to impress the village first as a ninja of taijutsu.”

“How do I do that?” Lee asked, watching Mihara-san with rapt attention.

“It’s been a while but my wife, Masa, told me that the way the Suna shinobi court each other through gifts, each one showcasing an important trait. If you show the village those same traits, and they accept them, then you should have an easier time courting the Kazekage. But you can’t ignore one for the other. You have to court both at the same time.”

Lee nodded, his fingers itching for a pen and his notebook. This was such important information that Mihara-san was telling him. He hoped he remembered it all when he could write it down.

“What are the important traits that I must show Mihara-san….no, Mihara-sensei!” saluted Lee. Mihara-sensei seemed to sour at the suffix but didn’t argue as he went over the gifts and traits that Lee was to show.

Lee’s eyes were wide as they talked late into the night. His heart was light and his soul felt like it could transcend the heavens. There was a chance that Gaara would not accept his advances or that the village would not acknowledge Lee as a shinobi because of his lack of ninjutsu, but for tonight, Lee nursed the budding flower of hope in his heart.

* * *

1\. **The Gift of Acceptance**

_“The first thing, kid, is to show that you’re interested. Won’t do you a fat lot if you go through the entire courtship and the Kazekage doesn’t even have an interest in relationships beyond friendships._

_“So what is usually done is you give them a gift. Something small, even simple like jewelry with a note or letter, stating your intentions. If they accept, then you go through the courtship. If they reject it, then you accept they are not interested. Don’t be the schmuck that doesn’t take ‘NO’ for an answer and keep pestering the lady…..well, young man I suppose._

_“In your case, I would suggest something meaningful and useful. You mentioned that he enjoyed gardening? Perhaps a book on flowers and their care or maybe a new toolset. Something you think that will say ‘I pay attention to you’.”_

Lee read over the letter an umpteenth time, his stomach turning into knots and loops. It had been four days since he had returned with Mihara-sensei after visiting his wife’s grave, and Lee had been hard at work trying to come up with a truly wonderful and youthful acceptance gift.

While Lee would never wish anyone ill, he was partially glad that when Chouji returned shortly after Lee, he had been admitted to the hospital with a case of chakra depletion and some mild food poisoning. It gave him time to prepare the gift so he could give it to Gaara when he saw him. He also had made up feeling glad about Chouji’s medical situation by doing 1000 sit-ups, jumping jacks, and push-ups in two hours, and sending a basket of Gai-sensei-approved homemade remedies.

The list he had made was all the things, simple and small as per Mihara-sensei’s instruction that Gaara could use. Gloves to work in the garden, lotion to help with cracked skin and aching joints, bitter tea for focusing, books about flower care, and books for flower care.

There were so many on the list that Lee’s head was spinning. He longed to ask Gai-sensei for his help and wisdom but Mihara-sensei had been firmed. This was to be done by Lee, with only Lee’s feelings coming through, for Gaara and to Gaara. It was to show his independence and resourcefulness. Who would want to be courted by a shinobi and their mother?

In the end, by repeating the mantra of small and simple as he did his morning routine on the third day did he finally come to a decision. Two packs of a bitter herbal tea Lee knew Gaara enjoyed, new work gloves for his garden, and a book about the entire flora in the Land of Fire.

Then came the really hard part: writing the letter with the acceptance gifts stating Lee’s intention of courting Gaara. Lee’s paper recycling was so full of torn and scribbled out letters that he had to get a second one for the next pile of rejections.

Again, repeating the mantra of simple and small as he did 2000 push-ups did it finally hit him. Lee cared for Gaara, he truly did. And he would use all the flowery and youthful words to express that. But Gaara was blunt and to the point, saying what he had to say and no more. So, so should Lee.

The letter was a mere 5 sentence note that Lee wrote and rewrote until he felt it he could improve it no more.

**To my dearest Gaara,**

**I have come to the realization that I care deeply for you. I understand that my feelings may not be reciprocated. But if you would give me the word, I would be honored if I could court you.**

**Always yours, Lee**

Lee smiled as he gently placed the letter back down on his desk. It was straightforward and blunt, the inner romantic in him was wailing on how un-youthful the letter was. But it had to be clear, his feelings and intentions for Gaara. While Gaara had come a long way since he was 12, killing as a means of making his existence known, the complex workings of the human mind and intricate of human emotions was still lost on him.

There was a banging on the door, breaking Lee out of his thoughts. He opened the door to see a rather unhappy Sakura.

“Sakura-san!” Lee cried out joyously. While his heart and feelings may have moved on, Sakura would always hold a special place in his heart.

“Where have you been Lee?” Sakura asked, annoyance clear in her tone. “We have been waiting for you!”

“What?” Lee began but was cut off.

“Chouji was finally cleared early this morning and a message was sent to all the chunin that we would be leaving around noon. Well, noon came and went and you weren’t at the gate,” Sakura continued and Lee thought he could feel his soul leave his body. “Eventually we figured out that you were busy doing that new weird routine of yours since no one has really seen you in four days.”

That “new weird routine” was Lee trying to figure out his acceptance gifts and letter to give to Gaara. But even with as busy as Lee had been, how could he not have noticed a message hawk?

“I am so so sorry Sakura-san!” blubber Lee, tears streaming down from his eyes. Lee was moving and twitching his hands unsure of what to do with them. “I never got the message but I assure you I would have never-“

“I get it, I get it,” Sakura reassured, placing her hands on Lee’s shoulders, those strong fingers of hers digging into his muscles. Only Sakura, outside of Neji and Gai-sensei, had the strength for Lee to actually feel pain outside of combat. “You would never blow off your friends. We were just really confused since this seemed so out of character for you. Hopefully, you have everything packed?”

Lee froze before burying his face into his face. He had been so busy trying to figure out what to get Gaara, that he didn’t do any packing or preparing. He could see Sakura-san do a facepalm and let out a loud sigh through his fingers.

“I will immediately start packing,” Lee muttered before rushing into his apartment. He was a whirlwind as he grabbed all the necessities for a trek across the desert. Lee never really needed to plan much when it came to packing on these kinds of trips

He never really wore much outside of his youthful jumpsuits, but he did make sure he always packed plenty of bandages and plenty of spares as well. Underwear less so but he always made sure to pack some anyways. Water and food pills were usually handled by the team leader so that was one less thing for Lee to worry about.

But he made sure to pack desert appropriate outerwear. Weather in the desert can be extreme, from boiling hot during the day to below freezing at night. And then there were the sandstorms that Suna was famous for. Lee had been unlucky the last time he crossed the desert to see what happens to those that are unprepared. It was like a scene from a massacre in those horror movies Tenten was fond of.

So Lee made sure to grab, and inspected to see if there was any damage since the last time he checked, the heavy cloak, gloves, goggles, and a face mask. Gaara would not have assigned a mission to a foreign chunin group of a village he was allied with just for them to blunder into a sandstorm but it never hurt to be prepared.

Lee could hear Sakura-san tapping her foot impatiently but he knew that she would not rush him. Even though Suna was only three-day travel away, a shinobi had to be prepared when it came to traveling.

Lee moved around the items inside his backpack so that the last things he could put in, and not crush on the transport, was the acceptance gifts. Which was in his kitchen, in full view of Sakura-san’s view who was inspecting them with a look of curiosity. Lee let out a small squeak as he rushed out, shoving gently the gifts into his backpack.

Sakura didn’t say a word but only raised an eyebrow, a question seeming to form on her lips. It was then she noticed the piles of papers on Lee’s desk and the overflowing recycling bin and her other eyebrow joined the first.

“I’ll explain later,” Lee said, his voice a few notches higher than normal as he felt a blush form on his cheeks and bridge of his nose. Sakura bit her lips to stop the smile as she made her towards the door. Lee rushed to the desk and grabbed the letter. He skimmed it quickly to make sure he grabbed the right one and folded it gently. Placing it into this bag on top of the gifts, did Lee finally close his backpack. After locking the front door and giving the key to his landlord with a brief “I’ll be back in two weeks” did he take off, Sakura close behind him.

Lee didn’t even slow down as the gate came into view but flew past it, flying past his friends. There were no words as they fell behind him, Sakura giving them all a quick rundown of what happened at his apartment as they jumped through the branches.

At the rate they were going, if the weather was good, they would arrive at Suna in three days, maybe even sooner if Lee could convince them to keep his pace. Lee’s heart thrummed at the chance to see Gaara again. He had not seen him since the chunin exams and aside from a letter he had received asking him about Shira, there had been no contact since.

Something cold twisted in Lee’s heart. What if Lee didn’t truly love Gaara and it was just infatuation? How cruel could Lee be if Gaara opened up his heart and Lee couldn’t return those feelings? Lee shook his head violently to try and dissipate that thought. No, he knew that he loved Gaara. He was just worried on how Gaara would react.

Lee couldn’t convince his friends to keep his “abusing” pace but they managed to arrive at Suna in the evening of the third day, all of them sweaty and ready to go to bed.

Of course, they were all whisked to see Gaara right away, despite protests from Lee and Sakura to take a shower and from Chouji to eat an actual meal. “A formatively” was all the unnamed Suna jonin said as they were led into Gaara’s office.

Gaara looked unchanged in the months since Lee had seen him but he still looked breathtaking. He wore the standard Kazekage white robe attire, hat included, as he sat behind a rather large dark wood desk reading some report.

Lee let his gaze quickly glance around the office. Unlike Lady Tsunade, it was organized and cleaned, smelling faintly of something flora. Three dark wood bookshelves lined the white walls, heavy with scrolls. The windows behind Gaara gave a view of Suna, tinted gold and pink in the light of the setting sun.

Though it was only them in the room, Lee knew that there would be at least two ANBU teams surrounding the building and most likely hiding closer than the team back in Konoha, watching what was going on in the room. To keep an eye on the recently arrive Konoha chunin team and to protect the Kazekage, if the need arises.

When Gaara looked up, Lee thought for a tentative second that his sea-glass gaze seemed to linger on him. That had been probably wishful thinking on his part.

“It’s good that you all arrived here on time,” Gaara began as he stood up. “It means that the project can begin once you have all rested.”

Curiosity gnawed at Lee’s patience. While he was not privy to the details of what the mission was and he wanted to know how he could help strengthen the bonds between their villages with his youthful taijutsu. He also wanted to have a moment with Gaara, alone, so that he could give his gifts and letter. To know if Gaara would accept or reject his feelings.

“We were almost late actually,” Shikamaru drawled, a hand scratching the back of his neck, in his usual lazy pose. “Lee apparently tried to become a hermit.”

There was a snort that was quickly covered over with a grunt from Chouji as Sakura elbowed him in the gut as Lee felt his face burn. Gaara turned to regard Lee, his face blank of expression but Lee could see that his eyebrow had risen, but only by a hair.

“I see,” what was all that Gaara said before turning his attention back to Shikamaru. “Now that you are here, I will give you a brief summary of the mission: Suna is trying to expand the greenhouses for food and medicine production but we have reached a problem. In order to expand but keep within the boundaries of Suna’s wall, we have to dig into solid bedrock.

“Suna does not have the pure muscle needed or the tools to do such an excavation, hence why you are here. With Lee’s and Chouji’s strength-“ here Gaara nodded towards the two of them, Lee tried to not preen under the attention “-we can crack the stone faster than what Suna could do on its own.

“Sakura is on standby as both a medic and for muscle if the case arises, most likely the former-“ Lee felt his cheeks go red as he saw each of his friends, and even Gaara give him a side glance. Oh, come on! It wasn’t like he would open any Gates to get the job done. “-Shikamaru will be working with our head engineer on design and construction. Any questions?”

“How long do we expect this mission to go on for?” Sakura asked. “I understand your reason but I do have other duties I cannot put off indefinitely.”

“We only need to break the bedrock and have the layout placed, so no more than two weeks. If weather permits,” Gaara replied. Sakura seemed to find the answer acceptable and nodded. Chouji looked like he was going to ask something, probably something about food, but a look from Shikamaru silence him.

With no one looking to ask anything pressing, Gaara gave them a nod towards the door. Lee had seen this similar action from Lady Tsunade, except it involved more gestures and grumbling. It was a clear dismissal.

Shikamaru only raised an eyebrow when he saw Lee still standing in his formal stance as the others were turning towards the door.

“I will join you all at the hotel in a bit,” Lee reassured. “I…..I need a moment with Gaa…..Kazekage-sama.”

Lee could have kicked himself. He prided himself on being polite and formal to a fault, something that always gave grief for his teammates. Just because he was in love with Gaara, did not give him a pass to be rude or not give the proper respect.

Shikamaru only gave Lee a blank look in return before shrugging his shoulders. He walked out the door without another word or glance as did Chouji. But Sakura lingered by the doorway, something in her gaze but she eventually walked out, closing the door behind her.

Lee turned around only to jump. Gaara was standing in front of him, his hat removed so that Lee could see his red hair, tousled in some places, and flatted in others. With him as jittery as he is with his nerves as they were, Gaara was lucky he didn’t get punched.

“Is everything alright?” Gaara asked. His voice was gentle and Lee could detect the tones of concern. “Your pulse has been elevated since you entered the village.”

Curse Gaara and his extremely sensitive five senses from being a jinchuriki. Of course Gaara would pick up on Lee’s uneasy state of mind like a shark would for blood. It also probably didn’t help that Gaara apparently had taken on a new past time: people watching. But Lee could say for certain, that as a result, he had gotten better at picking up social cues and expressions.

“I…” Lee began but the sound that came out was high pitched. Lee cleared his throat and tried again. “I am fine, just nervous.”

Gaara cocked his head to one side and Lee could see that those eyes flicker over Lee’s face, trying to look for something. “This is a simple mission, Lee. It’s not like you haven’t done something similar for Konoha. You don’t have to be nervous or uneasy about it. You are in no danger.”

 _The only danger I am in_ , Lee thought, _is that my heart could be broken into a million billion pieces. Or that I could combust into a light show for the ages, depending on how you react._

But Lee didn’t say these words out loud as he took a step back, just to create some distance between the two of them. Lee could see the furrow of Gaara’s brow at this action. Lee didn’t say anything, not trusting his voice to not squawk like his next-door neighbours parrot as he held out a hand to prevent from Gaar crowding his space again.

Gaara didn’t look too happy but he stood where he was, watching Lee carefully. Lee felt his shoulders lose some tension as he took his backpack off and undid the zipper. It was now or never.

Reaching in, Lee was delighted to see that the gifts had survived the journey with minimal damage and that the letter hadn’t been crumpled either. Pulling out the tea boxes, gloves, and book, he handed them to Gaara, who only looked confused but accepted the gifts. So far so good.

Lee could feel his heart was pounding and, judging by the way Gaara regarded him, Gaara could no doubt feel the pulse in the air as well as Lee’s agitated chakra.

“I’m not always good with words, “Lee said slowly, his voice having dropped down to a whisper. “So I put the most important ones in this letter. If you could read it and give your response by tomorrow morning, it would make me immeasurable happy.”

Lee then placed the letter on top of the gifts, before quickly grabbing his bag and rushing out the door as if the hounds of hell were hot on his heels. He had been doing so well and then his nerves got the best of him! Lee mentally kicked himself as he all but ran to the hotel.

He only slowed down to check-in, drop his stuff in the room he was sharing with Shikamaru, and Chouji ( no one would dare make Sakura-san share a room with three hot-blooded young men) and run out to one of the exercise courtyards by Suna’s academy.

There was no way that Lee could sleep, not when he was so riled up. So he might as well do some exercises to hopefully calm his emotions and spirit. At least to the point where he could try and take a nap.

Lee wasn’t sure how long he was out in the courtyard, slowly going through several tai chi exercises that placed importance on breathing and stance. It was only when he heard an irritating screech off to the side did Lee stop, and turn his head in the direction of the sound.

There, standing on what was left of Lee’s dinner, which had given to him by Sakura-san after his quick exit, was a hawk, which had a unique green band on its leg. It was the Kazekage’s personal hawk, used only for important deliverers.

Lee felt his mouth go dry, the calm and peace of mind he had achieved fleeing faster than a mouse before a snake. He had expected that he would have more time before Gaara would give his reply. But trust in him to not waste time in making important decisions.

Lee rubbed his now extremely sweating palms on his youthful suit before walking over to the hawk. It watched him with disinterest as Lee undid the note tied around its leg and took off without a sound once it deemed it was no longer needed.

Lee felt his heart hammering in his chest, and was jolted to reality when he felt tears build up in his eyes. Even before reading the note, it seemed that he already knew Gaara’s reply. Lee regarded the note in his hand before deciding, that he would not put off the inevitable. He would take this rejection in stride and not cry, or he would do 3000 push-ups! Taking in a deep breath and holding it, Lee unfurled the note.

Underneath the moonlight that laminated the world of sand in a gray shine, read the words that made Lee’s heart stop.

**Nothing would make me happier -Gaara**

Lee felt the air rush out of him as his legs gave out from underneath him, sprawling him into the desert sand that stuck to him.

Gaara had not rejected him. Instead, he had approved of the gifts Lee had given him, returned Lee’s feelings, and initiated the courtship. The feelings of relief, nervousness and happiness made quite a scene as Lee broke out into nervous laughter that filled the night air. It was a high-pitched sound that seemed to echo which combined with Lee’s increasing hiccups.

He had been accepted by Gaara. Now for the true testament of Lee’s feelings, starting the courtship of both Gaara and his village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly doubt that Gaara is going to be forced to marry as soon as he is 18. Rasa, his father, was 40 when he died. If we assume Temari was 16 at the leaf chunin exams, he was then 24 when she was born. Even if we consider a courtship that took place between Rasa and Karura, I highly doubt it would have been long or that they would have waited to have kids.
> 
> So for the name, here are the translation supplied by Google:  
> Mihara (surname, "three plains") Daitan ("daring")
> 
> Leave a kudo if you enjoy it. Leave a comment if you have something to say.  
> Bookmark if you think it's good enough to read.
> 
> Word Count: 6484, Published: NOV 17, 2020


	2. The Second Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very (late) Merry Christmas and an (early) Happy New Year and all-around Happy Holidays! 2020 has been a shitty year but at least the Christmas season wasn't too bad. (I got lots of chocolate, PJ's and a salt lamp. But still, screw 2020).
> 
> I am sorry this took so long to get posted. This chapter has been a pain to write since I was kinda pulling at straws when it comes to construction (I have no idea how groundwork is done, so If there is any inconsistent, please let me know).  
> Also because I was not feeling motivated to write >:[ 
> 
> A big thank you to everyone that left kudos, bookmarks, and/or comments. I truly do appreciate it. It makes me happy that people like and enjoy what I have written. Please enjoy this second chapter, I hope it is worth the wait!
> 
> Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All spelling, grammar and tense errors are my own.  
> Warning - Someone has a potty mouth

**2\. The Gift of Strength**

_“As I said before, Suna ninja only respects strength of chakra and ninjutsu. As a Konoha ninja of taijutsu, you’re already off to a bad start. So what you have to do is show all of your strength that you have at your disposal and at its fullest._

_“And I am talking about all of them: strength of willpower, strength of your heart, strength of character, strength of your muscle. The strength of your nindo, your Ninja Way, and your Will of Fire._

_“Show them what you can do, as the Konoha taijutsu specialist, Rock Lee!”_

Lee bounced on the soles of his feet, watching as his friends rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Since he had gotten the confirmation from Gaara, he had been unable to sleep, and as a result, opted to continue doing tai chi exercises late into the night.

Because of the heat, Suna and its citizens started their days earlier so Lee would have barely had time to take a nap even if he did try to sleep. So he just took a shower and joined his friends for breakfast, which was a simple meal of rice, some unknown seasoned meat, and cold tea.

When they were done eating, Lee was the first up and out the door, doing a light jog to where the greenhouses were. In the fading moonlight and amber glow of the antique street lights, Lee could see why Gaara now requested aid.

Suna was a rather smaller and very compacted village compared to Konoha, with all of its buildings kept inside the enclosing walls with defined sectors. The wall barrier that was used as Suna’s defense against incoming enemies and sandstorms towered over Lee in a way the Hokage mountain did back in Konoha, old from withstanding the pace of time.

The greenhouses, however, was in a large open area with no nearby buildings or vegetation. Even the water house, where the pumps and controls were housed had been built into the very defensive wall a few feet from the greenhouses themselves.

Lee turned to regard the four decent-sized greenhouses, aged from constant use from Suna and abuse from the elements, which stood up close to the wall barrier. The stone that made up the lower half of the greenhouses looked smooth to the touch but Lee could see the cracks and gaps. The metal frame that held the glass had some rust beginning to form.

The area the greenhouses were in was ragged and rocky, which seemed out of place compared to the smooth and flat tundra. Lee grounded one heel into the rock beneath his foot, it felt solid but also uneven, which gave Lee a jolt, as he used to the solid sand that made up Suna’s walkways. The stone here was gray and black, an oddity compared to the usual tan color.

Walking up to one of the boulders, no larger than a small pony, Lee gave it a shove. Through his fingers, he could feel the force of his shove shudder down the rock’s surface, moving deep into the sand. Lee frowned as he took a step back. Having no chakra to enhance his senses like his fellow classmates meant that he had to rely on base-level senses.

As a result of his training with Gai-sensei which hadn’t just been focussing on the martial arts but also how to use one’s basic five senses in unique ways of observation and detection. One way he had learned was using his strength as a measure of how dense and sturdy something could be, such as a tree or rock, as a type of pseudo-echolocation.

Lee couldn’t be for sure, but it felt like the rock was running deeper into the ground than it appeared. For all he knew, it could be part of the bedrock that they had to excavate. Lee bit his lip, as he tried to remember how to work like this would be done. Was Gaara sure they could do this in two weeks?

“Already here huh?” drawled a familiar voice. “Gaara was right, you are an overachiever.”

Lee spun around to see Temari, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised, as several civilians stood behind her. Well, Lee assumed they were civilians as they did not have Suna’s shinobi headband on them and they wore more of the traditional outerwear of caravans.

“The early bird gets the worm, Temari-san,” saluted Lee. “I am more than ready to be of assistance to help build the bond between our two villages.”

“I thought we were just building a greenhouse?” someone muttered, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Lee felt that familiar burn of shame and embarrassment crawl in his stomach. He had been mocked back in Konoha when he had first tried to realize his dream as a ninja. The mocking had died down from his skills and now was on his appearance, but Lee knew his friends were only teasing. Hearing the same scorn in someone’s voice from Gaara village, the same village he was to impress. It felt like a thorn digging into his side than anything else. 

“Perhaps we are building a greenhouse,” Lee stated directly to who he thought had muttered. There was a look of surprise on the gathered people as if they didn’t expect Lee to speak directly to them. “But any chances for our villages to build trust and respect, to strengthen our alliance, is something to go all in.”

“You believe this alliance will last?”

Lee gave them all his best signature ‘Good Guy’ pose and exclaimed. “Of course, anything is possible with the power of youth and an honest spirit!”

There was such a profound silence that only seemed to become awkward when Lee was sure he saw a tumbleweed roll down the street over Temari’s shoulder. Luckily for Lee, he saw his teammates' sluggish walk over.

“Took you long enough slacker,” Temari scolded as she leveled Shikamaru with a glare.

“Troublesome women,” Shikamaru murmured just loud enough for Lee to hear as he walked past.

“Wonderful, everyone is here,” Lee felt giddy as he started to stretch. “How are we going to start?”

“First the survey time has to layout the markers, setting up the dimensions of the new greenhouse. Once that’s done, we can start by chipping away at the rock on the surface. Then we can deal with the bedrock,” Shikamaru explained.

Lee looked over to see that during his explanation, the survey was already setting up steel rods and roping off the area. The work was efficient and quiet; something Lee knew was from the experience of their trade. Truly, Suna employed not only skilled shinobi but skilled citizens as well.

Lee watched with interest how the steel rods were hammered into place and the rope was tied to each rod in a specific order. The area that was being mapped out was twice the size of the currently standing greenhouses and seemed to be divided into two sections, possible for two different types of plant

Lee picked up on some of the workers muttering something along the lines of “How deep?” and “Second layer”. Was there to be a part of the greenhouse below ground level for fungi perhaps? Fantastic! A multi-level all-purpose greenhouse, Lee was so moved to be part of such a project!

Once the basic layout was done, Shikamaru talked with what Lee assumed was the head project manager as he continued to stretch. Just because the work could be considered simple didn’t mean that Lee should slack off.

He also managed to convince Chouji to join in on some basics one when Shikamaru came back. Though he looked laid back, he could see how his frown was deeper and his eyes serious.

“This is absolutely troublesome,” Shikamaru hissed, a hint of annoyance coming through that made Chouji look at Shikamaru in surprise. Lee looked over to see the survey team smirking and Temari seeming to talk seriously with the project manager, her hands being used to emphasize something.

“It looks like there might be some trouble. The rock is denser here than anywhere in the village, so it could take longer than expected. At this rate we might have to go home early since it would be a waste to stay here,” Shikamaru explained.

“Something they failed to mention in the field report than they gave you?” Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

Ah, so Lee had not been imagining the feeling of being unwanted since they all came to Suna. Lee could understand their frustration; each village was independent of one another. To ask another for aid was seen as admitting weakness, even in times of peace. It seemed like Gaara had a long journey ahead of him to build peace between their two villages.

“So what can we do?” asked Lee, bouncing on his heels. This could be a chance to show his strengths. If he could break the bedrock then-

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. “There are different types of rock layers here; we have to dig past the sandstone and pegmatite layers to reach the desired clay to layout the piping. But there are areas where the pegmatite connects to the solid bedrock that’s beneath the clay.

“Even with our strength the rock could splitter and the damage could travel to the rest of the bedrock. This would mean that we could end up damaging the plumbing that’s underground to even make the area strictly unsound.”

“That’s stupid, if that’s the case then why make us come here even?” asked Chouji, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Shikamaru just sighed as he shook his head. But Lee wasn’t paying attention anymore. He was thinking; taking in his surroundings as his eyes roamed over the stone and rocks.

Though it had been a while since he had last seen his blood family, he remembered the lessons in the stonework that they had drilled into his head. The Lee Clan wasn’t well known, _thank Kami_ , preferring to stay outside the village and in the quarries but their stonework and the final product were solid, no pun intended.

If most everything in the area was solid rock then to break it, barriers would have to be in place into the very ground to prevent the vibrations from traveling further. The barriers would have to be malleable enough to take a great deal of force but still hold up for repeated use, like the industrial rubber with a sturdy plastic covering his Uncle swore by (and did he ever swear).

To ensure the vibrations wouldn’t travel, they had to break the rock with enough physical force to ensure even fractures but also to not compress the clay layer beneath. The amount of force would normally require machinery that would never survive in the desert. But Suna and Gaara were lucky, as they had Lee, who could do such work in a single blow.

“I got it!” exclaimed Lee. “I know what we can do!”

His teammates all looked at him as if he had grown another head. Lee quickly explained his idea, his word low; his nervousness making him bit his tongue accidentally but still he powered through. The idea was possible but would they take the chance?

Shikamaru had a small smile, the look of a man deep in thought who looked as if he was also in on a great joke, as Lee finished. Shikamaru’s eyes quickly roamed over the courted off area, and Lee held his breath as he could see the wheels that powered the great mind at work. Lee knew he had the raw physical strength while Sakura and Chouji had more refined strength. But if Shikamaru believed that the work could not be done, then Lee would have to come up with another plan.

Shikamaru let out a huff of laughter ad he turned his attention back to them. “You think you can pull it off?”

“I know I can,” Lee puffed out his chest as he gave his friends a confident Good Guy pose. “If I cannot do this in one attack, I shall do 2000 laps around Suna, at high noon!”

Chouji eyes widened at the declarations while Sakura frowned. Lee could see her preparing to give Lee a lecture about heatstroke, dehydration, and not pushing himself before being cut off by Shikamaru.

“Alright, here the plan,” Shikamaru. “I’ll talk with the head project manager and Temari about the next steps we can do. Once we have the go-ahead, Sakura and Chouji will start setting up the barriers since the plans are already set for that part of the excavation Lee, continue doing you’re stretching and prepare for your grand entrance. If this holds up, we will have a majority of the work done by lunchtime.”

Chouji grinned at this bit of news and Lee bit the inside of his cheek to hide his smile. Chouji was a wonderful shinobi but at the end of the day, he was a simple man at heart and stomach. It wasn’t a well-hidden secret that Shikamaru and Ino used food as both a motivator and a bribe.

Shikamaru nodded to Sakura and Chouji as the three of them made their way to the survey team who had watched them with an air of disinterests and puffed up superiority. Lee felt a flicker of doubt cross his entire body. Maybe coming up with a plan that showed off his strength prowess in a way that seems like he was mocking the physical leaner Suna citizens hadn’t been Lee’s greatest idea.

But Lee shook his head. If he doubted himself now then he shouldn’t have started his courtship in the first place. Maybe he would come off as arrogant, but Lee was proud of himself and how far he came, he shouldn’t feel shame for being who he was.

In the end, what mattered was showing what the teachings of a taijutsu master could do, and helping the people of Suna have a new greenhouse that would grow more food and medicinal plants to aid them in the future. Strength wasn’t something that was shown at the drop of a hat but also over time.

Lee began to stretch in earnest, making sure to take the time to stretch and warm up his core muscles as he watched his teammates talk with the survey team before setting off to work. Chouji wove his hands in quick succession as his body increased in size, a telltale sign of his family’s unique and trademark Jutsu, the **Multi-Size Technique.**

Three of the survey team cried out in surprise, probably either not use to some of Konoha’s jutsu techniques or not use to chakra and jutsu’s at all. Temari was able to make the team snap back in attention with a sharp bark of a word in what Lee assumed was the Suna dialect.

With directions from Shikamaru and the head project manager, Chouji picked up a solid steel column that had one end in a dull point that could be used to as a pseudo awl. Using his strength, he set it into the marked spots and pressed the dull end downwards into the ground, leaving a perfect circle of a hole that Lee hoped was deep enough.

Sakura sat on Chouji’s shoulder as the second pair of eyes and would be the one to give him the instructions instead of Shikarmaur or Temari yelling up at him. Once that was done, did Chouji pick up the vibration barriers to slide into the newly made holes before they were sealed up by sand and loose gravel because of wind and gravity.

The barriers themselves were long hollow columns made up of some kind of pale gummy resin with a thin plastic sleeve. Lee frowned when he saw that cracks in both the resin and the plastic sleeve. Lee had put it together from previous visits that Suna was the village to use equipment that was outdated not out of stubbornness but from lack of funding and difficulty of transportation.

Lee bit his lip as he eyed the cracks. If the barriers had been in better shape or made of a different material, he could have just launched off Chouji into the air and slammed into the ground with the finesse of a cannonball. He was going to have to control his strength and have the grace of a ballerina. Strength of restraint was a strength of character after all.

When the last of the barriers slide into place into the final hole, and Sakura jumped off Chouji’s shoulder, did Lee take in a slow breath, letting the cool dusty morning desert air flow over his teeth and tongue. It was now or never.

Lee made his way over to Chouji, who had kneeled down and placed a hand down on the ground. Lee showed Chouji a tooth-filled grin, hoping it conveyed his thanks as he didn’t trust his voice to not squeak. He was lifted into the air until he could gently leap onto Chouji’s shoulder.

Lee watched in fascination as Chouji wove the same hand signs as before, though he was not jealous of his friends for their use of chakra, the speed that some could weave their hands was truly amazing. Lee felt what could only be described as a hum that seemed to swim up his legs as Chouji increased in size again, becoming twice the size he had been before.

When Chouji brought his hand up to Lee, he didn’t hesitate as he jumped onto the palm. With a single nod towards Chouji, Lee felt the muscles shift on the hand he was standing on and braced himself as he was thrown into the air.

Lee kept his eyes upward as the wind whistled loudly in his ear. The sensation of weightlessness and being surrounding by cold air was odd. Lee wondered if this was how it felt like to die?

The whistling died down as Lee finally reached what Shikamaru had called “optimum max-height” and a shudder rolled over Lee’s body as he looked down. He could see several small spots and the large blob that was Chouji.

It felt so odd to be this high up, it was almost like he was disconnecting from the world around him, his senses becoming fuzzy as it seemed it no longer had something to keep focused on.

Lee shook his head as he felt gravity begin to pull him back down, his descent picking up speed. It was now or never, he highly doubted Suna would give him the chance to try something like this or any of its ilk.

Crossing his arms, he felt the chakra that usually lay stagnant in his body bubble.

“The Gate of Opening, open!” Lee cried, feeling his chakra and blood roar in his body. Lee could make out dimly the cries of shock and surprise from the people below. No doubt his teammates thought he was going to just use base strength and speed to try and crack the rocks. Perhaps he should have been more forthcoming of his plan with them?

“The Gate of Healing, open!”

Lee could feel his muscles tighten to the point of pain before relaxing. Gai-sensei had stated that this was his body adjusting to the released physical strength from the 2nd Gate. Lee hoped that this would be enough; opening the 3rd Gate would give him more raw power but that power could do more harm than good, plus the recoil from opening the Gates could be brutal.

Lee flexed his fingers feeling his body had already adjusted to the new limits before tensing his arms. He let the chakra flow through his arms and into his palms as the ground was below him sped towards him.

Lee felt as if time slowed down when he was almost within striking distance. His breath was caught in his lungs, cold and heavy as his heartbeat seemed to feel like it was being crushed under the weight of his actions, the one here and now.

He could see how the stone below, uneven and rough, seemed to mess with the hardened sand and sandstone the village stood on. He could see, with his inner eye, the drawn-out map of how the stones would break underneath his fists. 

Was this his awakening as a shinobi or was this moment he died? Lee did not know, but he would find out.

When the ground was a breath away, he attacked to determine his faith.

His palms flat against the ground, as he forced his momentum and strength with his chakra into the ground. Lee could feel the force travel on the surface and deep into the rock as it fractured and split. There was a rush of dust, like a geyser, that erupted not only from where Lee had strike but also from where the barriers had been placed.

The stone then caved and buckled, like cheap plastic as the ground seem to come alive. Lee only had a moment to register the change in feeling as the ground collapsed, taking him with it the stone down.

Dust coated the entire inside of Lee’s mouth, at the same time it raced up his nose, making Lee gag. The dust combined with the water in his eyes to create a film that made his eyes water so badly he had to close them. The sounds around him of gnashing rock and singing angels echoed in his skull as he tumbled down.

Lee felt himself bounce off the settling rocks as he finally hit the bottom, the force of gravity forcing his body to bend in such a way that made his old injuries on his spine twinge. Around him were the sounds of falling pebbles, whispering dust, and the dull groaning of rocks before there was an eerie silence.

“Lee!” came a snarl from above. Or at least Lee hoped it was from above, if it came from somewhere else then he was going to be very concerned. “What the actual and utter fuck!”

Oh, that was Sakura, so it was from above. Lee was relieved, or as much as one could be before he was torn a verbal and hopefully not literal new one.

There was a loud chatter of voices from above him now. Shocked, stunned, surprised, anger, afraid; the tones seemed to weave a spell over Lee as his dark world became senseless.

So Lee had been correct, Sakura had come within an inch of beating him senseless after he had been pulled out of the hole and had been treated for his injuries and given a cloth to wipe the dust out of his eyes and mouth. He was ever so grateful that Shikamaru had stepped in, commenting that Lee had done what he said he would do. The glare Shikamaru received could have stripped the bark from the hardiest of the trees in the Nara’s forest.

Shikamaru was either a truly smart man or a very brave man. Lee decided he was both.

But if there was one good thing about all of this, it was that Lee had done exactly what he had planned to do, which had been to (a) fracture the rock layers above the clay and try not to have the force travel and damage the bedrock, or current piping and (b) to show off his physical strength for the courtship.

So the end result was now a rather large hole, both width, and depth-wise, in the area where the new greenhouse was to go. Lee had been right when he made the decision to not use the 3rd Gate, the force he had used had partially squished an area of the clay layer.

But Lee had been reassured by a rather amused Temari and a rather stunned head project manager that the clay was rather malleable and was going to be dug up anyways for the piping. Once the novelty and shock had worn off, the survey team had immediately thrown a fit, believing that because of Lee’s clumsiness and excessive force, something had happened underground.

Neither Temari nor Shikamaru could calm down the raging team, especially the head project manager who was making sounds more like a angry parakeet than a human. Lee felt his face burn when he saw that the “reckless explosion of stupidity” and the ongoing screaming match had drawn a sizeable crowd of onlookers.

Lee then decided that now was a good time to probably get Gaara so this could be sorted out. With his Magnetic Release and Sand Manipulation, he could no doubt trace the fractures and faults in the stone better than anyone in the village.

With a quiet whisper to Chouji of where he was going who looked sour all-round, Lee all but fled the scene, the screeching sounds becoming nothing but background noise when he reached the Kazekage building.

Lee tried to get all of the dust off of him before he entered the building but it seemed to cling to him like a burr. Lee frowned and wished he had the foresight to stop by the hotel for a change of clothing. What kind of impression was he making if he showed up dirty?

Lee let of a sigh before shaking his head and entering the building. It was important that Gaara come to help settle down the survey team Lee had riled up. He would just have to make it up for his appearance with 1000 laps around Suna!

Lee sped walk through the twisting hallways and stairways until he reached the large wooden doors that he had ran out of not even 12hrs ago. Funny how things turned out.

“Kazekage-sama?” Lee called out, rapping his knuckles on the door. The door vibrated with the force and Lee winced. He rapped again, but this time with less force. “Sir?”

There was silence from the other side and Lee had enough chakra control to be able to partial sense others. Gaara was on the other side, his chakra and the size of it was unmistakeable but other than that, Lee couldn’t tell if he was busy or napping or if he was in a meeting.

Lee pressed his ear to the door. The door was thick and made of a strong oak, but Lee could still hear the sounds of someone walking back and forth, as if pacing. But other than that, there wasn’t anything else; no voices, no shuffling of paper, no squeaking of a window for an incoming carrier hawk.

Lee let out a small prayer that he wasn’t disturbing a meeting as he opened the door. The darkness in the room was a surprise. With the large windows, any small amount of natural light would be enough. But the windows had been covered by a thick black curtain.

The murmurings caught Lee’s attention next as he turned to see Gaara pacing behind his desk, his shoulders tense and his hands clasped behind his back. There was sand on the ground, probably half of the gourd, that seemed to follow after Gaara like a lost puppy would. Lee felt a jolt pierce his guy when he saw Gaara’s face: blank. Those beautiful eyes were empty and unfocused.

Lee felt a lump form in his stomach. He shouldn’t be disturbing Gaara, he should leave and let-and let Gaara do what? Suffer on his own?

That made Lee pause. He did not fully understand what Gaara had went through when he was younger but he had heard enough, from Gaara himself and from others. His childhood had been brutal. He had been treated more like an object rather than a person, that kind of treatment would leave a mark on someone.

For Gaara, even if he was slowly working his way on becoming a better person, there would no doubt would be times when he would falter. And how could Lee say he loved Gaara and begin a courtship with him if he did not help take on Gaara’s burdens?

Closing the door with a click, Lee entered the room slowly, thinking of what could be done. Should he talk to him? Try to manipulate his chakra so Gaara would focus on him? Physical touch him?

Lee swallowed and decided to go with instinct. The worse that would happen is that he would be flung through a wall or jumped by the nearby ANBU. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Lee was a very physical person, always hugging or touching someone. So for him, if someone was sad he would hug them until they weren’t sad or tried to escape his grip. So that’s what he did. With no other thought but to follow his instinct, Lee walked right into Gaara’s way, wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight.

Lee could feel the muscles tense and those green eyes flicker. The sand seem to flinch and hiss but made no move to attack nor defend. Lee continued to hug Gaara as the mutters slowly died down, the muscles becoming soft as Gaara seemed to lean into the embrace.

Lee felt his face flush as Gaara’s placed his head on his chest, right over his, no doubt at this moment, pounding heart. Lee hoped that the rushing blood wouldn’t invoke some kind of primal instinct in Gaara. Attacking the person who you were trying to court is step 1 in failing a courtship.

Gaara let out a sigh, his face moving upwards so that his breath would gently brush against his check. Oh, didn’t that do something funny to his stomach. Lee hoped that the reason his ears were buzzing was because of the blood in his face from his blush. But through that haze, Lee saw some resemblance of the old Gaara, not the murderous one but the Kazekage one, flicker back into those eyes.

Bit by bit, Lee saw Gaara come back more and more until finally-

“Hello Lee,” Gaara croaked. He sounded as if he hadn’t drunk any water for days. “Has something happened?”

Lee felt himself flush. “I tried to do the ground work for the new greenhouse by smashing the rock using two of the Gates. Your survey team is beyond upset with me. I came to see if you could talk to them and see how badly I screwed up.”

There was a huff of laughter that brushed against Lee’s check again as Lee watched, entranced as the amusement in Gaara’s eyes made them glow like pure jade.

“Of course, just give me a moment and we will be on our way,” Gaara murmured, those eyes slowly closing shut.

“Oh course,” Lee chirped. “Was there something you needed to-“

Lee cut himself off as he saw Gaara nuzzle his chest, one ear still firmly pressed over his heart. Well, this was….unexpected. Not bad, never bad, just unexpected. He had expected Gaara to reciprocate, hopefully, his feelings as the courtship went on. He just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

Well, Gaara said he needed a moment, so Lee would stand still and let Gaara take the time he needed to ready himself. If he so much as twitched, he would do 3000 laps around Suna!

When the two of them separated, 10 minutes later by the clock in Gaara’s office and made their way down to the greenhouses, the head project manager had fainted from working himself up in such a tizzy and no one had been happy that Lee had left without so much as a word to anyone.

But Lee decided it have been worth it to hear it from all of them, by the way Gaara had smiled such a kind smile at him in the office and how amused and impressed he looked by the hole Lee had made in the ground.

The second gift of the courtship had been accepted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a kudo if you enjoy it. Leave a comment if you have something to say.  
> Bookmark if you think it's good enough to read.
> 
> I hope I will have the next chapter up sooner than I did this chapter  
> Link used as ref for rocks for the desert --> https://www.desertusa.com/thingstodo/geo/geology.html
> 
> Word Count: 5334, Published: DEC 30, 2020  
> (I was trying to finish this around the 3000-word count but it didn't turn out like that)


	3. The Third Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, 2021 has started off wonderful and has continued to be wonderful (hoping all of you reading this is safe, especially all of you American readers out there). 
> 
> Have no fears though my wonderful readers who read my fanfics and left kudos and bookmarks and comments (which i enjoyed immensely and thank you all for doing so), I will still finish this, despite the world going down the toilet. Just slowly, like one chapter per month. Better than nothing I suppose.  
> sweet-bella-donna, I said I would post the next chapter in about two weeks. Well, I kinda made it for the deadline. 
> 
> Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All spelling, grammar, and tense errors are my own.

**3\. The Gift of Endurance**

_“To survive in the desert, you need endurance, stamina, and some decent luck. To show off your endurance, you need to show how hardy you are, how you survived in a harsh world and became stronger for it. Some would also use this to show off their battle scars, or how they endured torture._

_“You went up against Gaara-san in the chunin exams and survived. That already gives you a leg up against others from what I have heard, but I don’t think that would work out in your case. Showing off your physical scars might come off as gloating and I don’t think the Kazekage needs to be reminded of his bloody past if his village already does it better._

_“So instead, show them all how you have endured hardships, brutal training and became not only a better shinobi for it, but also a better person. Inspire the Kazekage that if someone that had no talent could reach this far and still go further, then so can he.”_

“Well done,” praised Lee. The children around him all giggle and Lee couldn’t help but join in on their laughter.

It had been five days since Lee opened the two Gates and progress for the new greenhouse had been moving steadily. As Lee had done the massive job of both starting the project and breaking the rock, it was now up the Chouji and Sakura for the finer part of actually moving the stone and helping to install the piping and base frame.

The head project supervisor had still cussed out Lee even after Gaara had done a survey and affirmed that the bedrock was still solid and none of the current pipping had been damaged. To appease the man before he fainted again, Lee had been moved to emergency backup duty and was to only be called as a watchman.

Lee didn’t mind being sidelined (it was better than being cussed out). His wrists still throbbed now and again as a result of punching the solid ground and landing poorly, even after Sakura-san had taken a look at it. So to keep himself occupied, Lee had taken to running laps around Suna and grabbing meals and water for the working crew. And during those laps, he had something to help pass the time even more: teach taijutsu to some of Suna’s academy students.

It had been mere chance when he had been doing tai chi that some of the children had come out, curious about the strange foreign shinobi who did stranger things. When he had learned that their current taijutsu teacher was out on a mission and no one replaced him, basically letting them run wild as exercise, Lee had been horrified.

Just because Suna placed more emphasis on chakra and ninjutsu didn’t mean that they could neglect their training. So Lee had taken upon himself to train this new generation in the youthful art of taijutsu.

Of course, easier said than done as trying to keep all of the children in the training yard was like trying to hold water in a sieve. Most had bolted in every possible direction except for two of the more polite students.

It had then turned into a combined game of hide-and-seek and tag. They would all run, Lee would find them, bring some back to the yard, look for the others, when he had come back, the ones found before were gone.

Of course, when one student asked about him about breaking the bedrock with in a single punch did all of them decide that listening to Lee’s stories was more fun that playing games. Of course, they didn’t believe him so Lee made a challenge; if they did some training exercises with him, he would show that his stories were not falsehoods.

That had been three days ago and progress had been made in their stances. Of course, more work was needed but Lee felt confident that they would shape up to be excellent shinobi.

“Come on sensei!” called out one child, a small girl with hair and skin the color of red sandstone. Lee tried to memorize all of their names and believed it was Anka-chan - _And being called sensei just make Lee’s day_ \- “When will you show us you’re **Leaf Hurricane**?”

“I want to see **Lion’s Barrage**!”

The protest broke out as Lee tried to regain order. He did not know how many of his academy teachers dealt with him when he was this age. He probably should give them a bag of Gai-sensei youthful coffee, as a thank-you gift for their Buddha-like patience

A shush filled the air as all the children looked towards the entrance to the yard, their eyes wide with poorly concealed fear and respect. Lee tensed as he looked over, expecting to see some intruder. What he saw instead, looking rather uncomfortable, was Gaara.

He was dressed in a deep crimson jacket that was becoming a stable of his uniform, and in Lee’s opinion, highlighted his strong shoulders. A purple vest was pulled taunt over his chest, which was also used to hold his gourd. Lee thought it wasn’t fair that Gaara could look that good in even casual clothing.

Gaara’s eyes flickered over the children who all shuffled uneasily under the unblinking stare of their young Kazekage. He then moved quietly towards them, his black sandals never seeming to sink into the sand that made up the courtyard. One of the shyer children, a boy with lilac hair named Daichi-kun, seemed to tense before running to hide behind Lee.

Gaara froze, looking unsure of how to proceed. Lee bit his lip as his gaze moved over each of the uneasy looks of the children to Gaara, whose blank façade gave nothing away. Though they were all too young to remember Gaara’s bloody rampage, that could not be said the same for their parents, some who might have been victims of Gaara’s instability.

“Hello, Kazekage-sama” boomed Lee, making them all jump. Lee could not heal the deep wounds that ran through Suna. But he could show the future generation that there was nothing to fear. “Will you be joining us for our taijutsu exercises?”

Gaara seemed to be regarding Lee with a look before shaking his head. “I came to see if it was true that the academy students were running wild.”

Several of the children tensed, as some had indeed run truly wild until Lee wrangled them, and Lee jumped in. “Oh that, that was nothing, it was a training exercise.”

“A training exercise?” questioned Gaara, tilting his head slightly to one side just enough for Lee to see.

“It was to attest of my endurance and patience!” Lee stated. “To see if I have it in me to be wonderful mentor, like Gai-sensei is to me. They all gave me a run around of the village but it’s all good! I actually enjoyed myself”

Lee gave Gaara his ‘Good Guy’ pose, hoping he was convincing enough so that no one would get in trouble, even if the academy teachers were lazy to drop taijutsu training in his opinion.

“I see,” Gaara said slowly. “So I assume that you have been the one teaching them in the courtyard?”

Lee nodded. Taijutsu training was the last class of the day so when most of the parents and guardians came to pick up their children, they would come across Lee still teaching. Some would only stare at Lee oddly but a few had been kind enough to say hello, goodbye and thank him for his duty. One parent, a single mother to Toshi-kin, a young boy with hair the color of dull straw and tanned skin, had even given him some homemade tea with a rather tart pastry which he had eaten with gusto.

“I have had some complaints and concerns come across my desk because of ‘a long green pole in a plastic suit’ so I came to investigate,” Gaara mentioned. “I assured that no one was in danger but still to see what this was all about.”

Lee could see out of the corner of his eye that several of the children glared at the resident ‘tattle-tale’, Hiroto-kun. His mother had made some very snide remarks when she came to pick up her son and made sure to be loud enough for Lee to hear.

Lee could never fault a parent who only wanted to protect and do the best for their child, but Lee was sure that it was mostly because Hiroto-kun was more on the lazier end of things and just complained to his mother, who apparently complained to Gaara.

“I assure you,” Lee grinned. “I have done nothing of concern, just some basic stances, and exercises. I heard about Morono-sensei not being here and decided to step up since I have nothing to do.”

Gaara nodded as the bell toned out. Class was over, it was time for the children to get their stuff ready before their parents came for pick up.

“And that concludes today’s lesson. Tomorrow we can move onto basic punches,” announced as several of the children broke out into excited talks among themselves.

Just as they were all walking away, Lee called out. “You all forgot to do something.”

They rolled their eyes before droning out, “Thank you Lee-sensei!”

Lee chuckled before. Being called “sensei” truly made me feel the happiness that he could not describe, he thinks he understood a bit of why Gai-sensei became a sensei in the first place. He saw Gaara staring at him and Lee mentally slapped himself so he called out again.

“Should you not say something to your Kazekage?”

All the students froze, regarding each other with looks of apprehension. Lee frowned. What had their parents been telling them about Gaara to make them so nervous of their own Kage? Lady Tsunade wasn’t always the most behaved but she did foster a relationship of trust between herself and the new students at both the shinobi and civilian academies.

“Good bye Kazekage-sama,” one student called and the rest followed suit, abet quietly and unsure. Lee grinned to reassure the students but inside he was frowning. He knew that many in the village could not or would not forget what Gaara had done, but traumatizing the future generation against their own Kazekage? That was something Lee could not abided by.

Hopefully, he could show all of Suna one day that Gaara was not the One-Tailed Demon or ever an extension of him, but rather a smart, strong and noble young man who was trying to make his village a better place.

Lee shook his head, his heart feeling heavy at the daunting task, and turned to grin at Gaara, who was watching him with an air of calmness.

“And how are you this fine day Kazekage-sama?” Lee asked as he saluted. Something sour skittered across Gaara’s face before it returned to its normal blankness. Lee wondered what had caused that reaction.

“I am…well, thank you for asking Lee,” Gaara replied. “Busy with paperwork and reviews of all types.”

“You are truly amazing Kazekage-sama,” Lee complimented. “I have always had a hard time doing paperwork even though I understand how important it is. And unfortunately, the Mission Help Desk has let me know that they do not apprentice my “sweat-and-tear” methods of filling them out, even if they are complete.”

Gaara let out a small huff of amusement which led to a small smile as he asked, “Doing your Youthful Training while doing your paperwork sat the same time?”

Lee blushed and gave a sheepish nod. “Apparently trying to do 1000 push-ups with only one finger and using my non-dominant hand to fill out a complete mission scroll might fulfill a Youthful challenge requirements, it does not for the Mission Help Desk.”

This time Gaara let out an actually chuckle inside of his usual huffs of air. It was a small and light sound but it made Lee feel pleasant warmth all the same.

“Well, I’m glad that you have something to keep yourself preoccupied,” Gaara nodded, his jade eyes roaming over Lee’s form as if looking for something. Lee bit down the urge to pat and check himself to see if he looked appropriate but he did eye his hands to see if they were clean.

“I was worried actually.” This made Lee’s head snap up in shock to look at Gaara whose eyes were now watching the now exiting academy students. “That you would be dejected and would push yourself too hard since you were no longer on the mission because of your injuries and then because of Gakura-san fury.”

“I was not that badly injured Kazakage-sama,” Lee protested and added the rest with a smile. “I have honestly suffered worse from training and Gakura-san did have every right to be mad. I am just glad that he did not force you to make me leave the village.”

“I know you have faced worse,” Gaara murmured, turning his head to regard Lee with a look that, for some odd reason, put him on edge.

“When you came into my office, I could smell the blood and ozone on you, the same smell you had when we battled in the Chunin Exam,” Gaara murmured.

Ah, Gaara was remembering when Lee had first used his Gates formation in a combat situation, after receiving approval from Gai-sensei of course. Lee remembered how different it felt to feel the blood and chakra roaring in his body in that situation than it had during the training with Gai-sensei to open the Gates.

“I feared that we had been preached, that you had faced some enemy that made you believe you had to be reckless and had come to me because you needed **his** strength,” Gaara continued. “I feared that Suna would become bloody again.”

Lee watched as Gaara’s eyes became far away as if he could see this terrible fight happening in front of him. Lee watched with a sinking heart that Gaara’s eyes were becoming unfocused, like back in his office.

Gaara was slipping and he needed saving.

Lee took a small step forward and gently grabbed Gaara’s much smaller and finer hands into his rough and larger ones and gave it a small squeeze. Gaara jolted and looked over to Lee in surprise, as if he didn’t expect Lee to touch him.

“I am sorry that I worried you,” Lee began. “That was not my intention. I truly only opened the Gates to try and be a useful shinobi for Suna and Konoha. Next time, I promise I will not take such risks.”

Gaara blinked several times, seeming to take in Lee’s words carefully. “I thank you for your consideration Lee but you do not have to apologize for anything.”

Lee shook his head, “No, apparently I do. You were not the only person I had made worried because I opened the Gates. This mission had taught me to reconsider how I use the Gates, something that I am sure more training can help with.”

Gaara narrowed his eyes and turned to fully face Lee, his posture straight and his gaze level. “If you are thinking of doing endurance training at noon in the worse heat wave Suna is facing this summer-“

Lee couldn’t stop the small giggle that erupted from his mouth. One of Gaara’s faint eyebrows went up as some more giggles slipped past Lee’s lips. Lee knew that Gaara was being serious but the look he had on was almost childlike and his tone sounded like he was scolding a child rather than a shinobi.

Perhaps Lee was rather childlike that Gaara could take such a stand against him, since he was the Kazekage and Lee was a chunin, despite Lee being older. Lee expected to feel indignant or sorrow by being treated lowly like this.

What he did not except was to have more giggles slip past as an image of him wearing his old academy uniform as Gaara scolded him. Tenten and Neji would no doubt have a fit if they dare see him even attempt such a fit as it which would no doubt be stretched because of his now larger frame and tone muscles,.

Lee was ready to apologize again for his rude actions when Gaara actually started to chuckle alongside him as if his laughter was infectious. Lee gently let go of Gaara’s hand as he used both hands to cover his mouth, to try and smolder his giggles.

Thankfully, the giggles did die down but so did Gaara’s quiet chuckles, which Lee would happily listen to all day if he could. Removing his hands from his mouth, Lee clasped the hand he had been holding earlier and shook his head with a bright toothy grin.

“No, that training is more for heat resistance. The type of training I am thinking is how to increase my base muscle strength, which would involve Gai-approved healthy eating, weights, push-ups, pull-ups, and laps.”

Gaara let out a small “ah” of understanding before saying. “So many different ways you train, I learn something new every day about you when we met.”

Lee grinned and gave Gaara’s head another squeeze. “It is always important to learn new things from different places. You truly don’t know much little you know until you experience something new!”

Gaara let out a hum of agreement as he gazed around the schoolyard before his eyes landed on Lee’s hands, still holding Gaara’s.

“You can let go of my hand anything now Lee,” Gaara stated and Lee felt himself blush a vibrant red as he dropped Gaara’s hand like a branding rod.

“I am so sorry Kazekage-sama!” again, the same sourness flickered before it was gone “I shall make up for it by-“

“By doing your best in helping get dinner to your teammates and preparing tomorrow’s lesson. I believe helping young energetic troublemakers practice punches takes great skills indeed,” finished Gaara, humor making his eyes shine.

Lee felt himself blush as he nodded rapidly. Truly, Gaara was smart, and also right. Now that class was over, it would be about time for dinner for everyone on the crew, especially since Chouji seemed to finally find his appetite for the unique way of Suna cooking.

“Thank you for the reminder Kazekage-sama,” Lee saluted. “I am sorry I must cut this meeting short but I must get meals ready for everyone at the greenhouses. Chouji can become just irritated when hungry.”

“No worse than Temari after a long day I can imagine, their appetites are probably the same,” Gaara snorted, a fondness as he made a rib at his sister.

Lee grinned. He had not been titled to see how the relationship between Gaara and his siblings had been before but to see Gaara, now, making small jokes like Kiba would about his older sister showed that Gaara had come far. 

Lee saluted once more as Gaara gave a small nod, disappearing into a whirl of sand and wind as Lee sprint across the yard and towards the geological offices which supplied food and water for the crew working on the new greenhouses, the Konoha shinobi included.

Lee looked up to see the sky was already turning colors, making him jolt and almost lose his footing. Lee was still getting use to Suna’s academy hours and how much different they were from Konoha. Taking a moment, while still jogging, to appreciate the beautiful array of orange, pink, blue and purple sky with white clouds, Lee also took a moment to see if he could find the moon.

There, hidden by some clouds that moved lazily across the sky, the moon hung high above the waves of sand, where its light would soon swallow the landscape as the sun descending lower and lower to the horizon. The moon being visible meant that Lee was late for dinner with his friends. But that wasn’t what made Lee stop in place, watching the moon slowly climb.

It was the fullness of the moon that made him stop, captivated by it. Like a blind eye of some cosmic dwelling creature peering down from the heavens to look down on the mortals.

It was a full moon tonight.

A full moon, just like it had been the night before the invasion during the first chunin exam when Gaara’s mental state had been like shattering glass.

A moon that made Shukaku the One-Tailed Beast, more difficult to control as it roared for blood and death. Even after Gaara's defeat at Naruto’s hands and his change towards becoming a better person, the village still did not trust Gaara during these times. So Gaara was forced to retreat deep into the desert, with no one around, either to quell the fear of those around him or for himself should he lose control and hurt his village.

Lee felt a lump form in his throat as the conversation back in the schoolyard came back to him.

_“I feared that we had been preached, that you had faced some enemy that made you believe you had to be reckless and had come to me because you needed **his** strength,”_

**His** strength, Gaara had said, not **my** strength. In other words, **Shukaku’s** strength.

Had Gaara been worked up by both the approaching full moon and Shukaku’s restlessness and then further aggravated by Lee’s entrance, reeking of signs of a battle? And yet, he still diligently worked on paperwork, keeping himself in check and making preparations to not be in the village in case something goes wrong?

Two sides of Lee battled against each other. One roared that Gaara should not be left alone in this time of need; that how could they be worthy if they did nothing? Another side, quieter but steady, noted that Gaara would want to be alone at this time; to have some time to his thoughts and collect himself.

Lee gritted his teeth as the more sensible and clear-headed side of him drowned out the dull roar in his blood. As much as he wanted to be at his friend’s side through all of their hardships, some paths they must take alone.

Lee was going to have to practice patience. Gai-sensei had mentioned that a way of the samurai was the way of enduring pain and being a column of strength in silence. Lee would have to follow such nobleness as well. No matter how much he hated to.

The moon was slowly sinking towards the horizon and Lee watched the main gate, his eyes scanning for any sign of Gaara. Lee had taken a position close to the main gate sometime after Gaara had left and hadn’t moved since. Several of the guards had tried to persuade Lee to go rest, that they would keep an eye out for the Kazekage and that if they needed him, they would fetch him.

But Lee refused, saying that he was concerned for his friend and would wait to properly greet him when he came back. The guards shook their heads in disbelief but stopped trying to persuade Lee to leave.

Lee knew that Gaara was safe. There was a special ANBU squad watching over him as he made his rounds in the desert and while Lee trusts them to do their job in keeping Gaara safe, he couldn’t stop the bite of fear that they would kill him at the first signs of the Biji taking over. 

Lee’s train of emotions halted and crashed into a ditch when a lone figure wearing dull clothing slowly began to approach the gate, a buzz of charka that felt so familiar but Lee restrained himself until Gaara could enter the village.

Lee watches as the two guards approached the figure, stopping a few feet away. Lee could not hear what they were saying nor did their body language give anything away. But soon the guards returned to their posts and the figure walked through the gate uncontested and into the village.

Lee could see the drooping shoulders and the slow pace the Gaara set. When his sea glass eyes met Lee’s black ones, Lee was jolted to see just how exhausted Gaara looked. Lee did not yell out a greeting but walked over to Gaara, giving him a small smile in greeting.

Now that he was closer, Lee could see just how jagged Gaara was. There were layers of now dried sand and clay sticking to his coat and sandals. What looked like, and Lee hoped it was even with the smell, mud-covered Gaara’s legs from ankle to below the knee in a fine layer. His hair was plastered down with sweat and his face was pale and sunken.

Lee offered Gaara a hand and whispered, “Let me help you back to your residence Gaara-san.”

While Lee strived to be polite, the sourness from their previous conversation had made Lee wondered if Gaara liked being called by his title. So Lee had practiced while exercising and doing some errands around the village, of saying Gaara’s name with any honorifics.

He had not been entirely successful and had made up for his slip-ups with some Youthful Training but he had made progress.

A flicker of surprise and something warm seemed to brighten Gaara’s eyes as he nodded. Lee smiled as Gaara took his hand and Lee gently sweep Gaara up into a loose bridal hold. Gaara had forgone his usual large gourd of sand and had taken instead of a small one, about the size of a small dog. Its shape and bulk did not deter Lee as he kept a solid grip on Gaara, one hand on his shoulders and the other holding his knees and set a brisk pace towards the Kazekage’s residence.

So Lee had been right to not use Gaara’s title. Lee felt something warm and pleasure settles into his chest. That was good. But it would still take some time before Lee could call him “Gaara-kun” or, heavens willing, “Gaara”.

Lee kept his pace even as to not jostle Gaara who was now laying his head on Lee’s chest, resting on his beating heart. Lee hoped his heart would not give him away. Soon the Kazekage’s residence appeared but the more correct term could be mansion given its size and symbol of luxury. 

The Kazekage residence was the largest residential building belonging to a single family, as its ownership had been passed down from Kazekage to Kazekage. After the demines of Gaara’s father, the previous Kazekage, at the hands of Orichmaru the property ownership had been given to Baki, as the current squad leader to the Kazekage biological children until one would take up the mantle.

Kankuro had refused immediately, stating that he did not want the responsibility. Gaara had been seen as too much of a liability so Temari had been made the choice. However, Gaara had put in his application for the position and despite the Elder Council’s protest; Temari had stepped down, leaving Gaara as the sole applicant.

The mansion was about the size of a small hotel, its sandstone walls thick with few windows on the first floor but Lee already knew from Shikamaru that it had been built in a way that allowed optimal airflow for hot summer days and nights.

Noting that there were no lights, Lee guessed that Kankuro would no doubt be in the basement and therefore, unable to answer the door, even if Lee did the knocking. A small point to his pectoral made Lee look down to see a Gaara, his eyes half-lidded and a small key in the same hand that had poked him.

Taking the key from Gaara’s hand, and internally reciting a Buddha mantra so such a cute face did not follow him into unyouthful dreams, Lee opened the front door which did not creak despite the rust on the hinges. Letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, Lee made his way deeper into the house.

While curiosity gnawed at him like a rat would a bone, to see and look around and explore the place that Gaara and his siblings called home. Gaara was his priority at this moment. Finding the stairs in a dark corner of the house, Lee made sure to walk up slowly, as not to trip and accidentally land on Gaara.

When he was on the landing, did Lee pause. Shikamaru had described the basic layout of the floors in the house but had given up after much teasing from Chouji about Temari-san.

“Keep going forward, I’ll tell you where to stop,” murmured a voice close to his ear, making Lee jump. He had not realized that Gaara had shifted in his arms so that he could whisper into his ear. But the weight and warmth of Gaara leaning heavily into his chest and the warm breath that had a sickening sweet smell made goosebumps crawl over Lee’s skin like ants but did was Gaara said.

Walking slowly forward into the darkness, Lee could make out several closed doors in the hallway they were in. Which door was Gaara’s?

“Take the stairs that’s ahead of you,” Lee felt another rush of goosebumps but followed Gaara’s instructions as another set of stairs came into view. Lee felt a weight settle on his shoulder as a warm breath caressed his neck. Lee could feel his cheeks and ears go warm and hoped that Gaara could not see his ever-growing blush.

“We have to take another flight of stairs up. My room and office are on the fourth floor,” Gaara breathed and Lee got another whiff of that sweet smell that seemed to make his head feel light.

Thankfully the flight of stairs to the fourth floor was beside the landing on the third floor and Lee was finally able to see where he was going and make his way quickly. Holding Gaara with one hand and using his leg to make sure Gaara didn’t slide down his torso – _Keep your knee on the small gourd he has on his back._ _Keep your thoughts professional Lee!_ \- Lee opened the door to the fourth floor.

He was in a large loft that was flooded with fading moonlight due to the large facing windows, much like in his office. In front of those windows, was the same setup as in the office as well, a large wooden desk with many bookshelves overflowing with books, scrolls, pens, and wells of ink. Closing the door behind him, Lee walked further into the loft, looking for somewhere to put Gaara down.

A glint of something metallic made him turn his head to the right where he saw a small kitchen, with a sink, stove, cupboards, and dining table. The only other door on the floor Lee assumed led to the bathroom.

Looking more around, Lee finally saw Gaara’s bedroom or what he assumed could barely pass as one. Shoved into the furthest corner of the loft were a small bed and a dresser with a lamp on it. That was it.

Making his way towards the bed, Lee was stopped as Gaara began to squirm in his arms. Lee was about to speak when a hand on his chest silence him. Gaara’s eyes were wide open and he looked more alert than he had earlier. Slowly, Lee righted Gaara until he was standing his own two feet, his hands on Lee’s shoulders for support.

“Thank you,” murmured Gaara, his eyes seemed to glow in the combination of darkness and moonlight. Lee could not say for certain, but there was something in his eyes. An emotion, something deep and complex that was going right over his head as Gaara continued to stare up at him,

Lee felt his throat tighten he took in Gaara. The moonlight cast part of Gaara’s face in shadow but made his hair burn a deep red. His skin looked like fragile porcelain but Lee knew the raw power that simmered underneath that flawless skin, having been once on the receiving end of it.

Gaara was truly beautiful. Lee felt his face flush at that thought.

“Lee,” Gaara started, having moved more into Lee’s personal space. Once again, that sweet breath caressed his neck and cheeks. “I am…….sorry.”

“Sorry?” Lee repeated numbly. “Sorry for what?”

“I never truly did apologize for what I did to you during the Chunin exam. I could have just restrained you and that would have been the match. There was no need for me to…..” Gaara faltered as he moved out of Lee’s space.

“I was truly a monster,” Gaara was hugging himself now, a somber and grievous expression on his face. “Even now I am still-“

“NO!” the shout tore from Lee’s mouth before he could stop it. The volume made Gaara jump, his eyes wide as he stared at Lee. Lee could feel his pulse hammering and his breath was coming in quick gasps as if he had done a marathon. Lee could not let Gaara finish that sentence, even if it meant dealing with an unhappy and sleep-deprived Temari.

“No,” Lee repeated, his volume much lower but he made sure his tone was steady. “You are no monster Gaara. You were someone hurting forced into a terrible situation that-”

“That does not excuse my behavior!” Gaara snapped, his eyes sharp. “What right does someone have to kill another, even if they were in pain, in suffering? Despite everything, I still knew what I was doing; I still knew the difference between right and wrong.”

Lee could not fault Gaara’s logic. Even as shinobi, whose purpose was to be used as tools of their daimyo, they still were taught right from wrong, even if they lose that innocence and ability to decide during their lifetimes.

“So would you fault me if I had tried to kill you too?” Lee asked softly. Gaara tensed and something coiled entered Gaara’s expression but Lee pressed on.

“The chunin exams are designed to ensure the future of the village is attended to. This means culling out the weak, this means survival of the fittest. I had all the intent, in our match, of defeating you, even if it meant crippling you Gaara.

“And if crippling you would have led to your death, then so be it. You were not the only one out for blood. I had so much to prove, so much to show. I wanted to show everyone what I could do. How I could be useful to my village, as a shinobi, as a weapon.”

Gaara was silent and it almost appeared he had stopped breathing. Lee could not see how pale Gaara was in the allowed light nor did he have the enhanced senses to hear his heartbeat. But he had to get his point across.

“In a way, I am glad that you crippled and almost killed me,” Gaara flinched so strongly that Lee heard his teeth clank together roughly.

“It showed me the lowest point I could be at, and how much more I would have to climb, to make my dream a reality. But I am also glad for you too,” Lee gave Gaara a small content smile, hoping his emotions and words were being understood.

“How….” Gaara began, his voice thick and horse, as if on the verge of a wail. “How could……you be happy…..for me? After…..what I did!?”

“Because I got to meet you, the **real** you, not the one hidden away behind years of pain and a bloody mask. But a strong and noble young man, who strives to become better every day for himself, for his family and friends, and for his village. You are….an inspiration Gaara.”

“But that-“ Gaara started and Lee would not take anymore, not from Gaara.

“Terrible things did happen, yes. I am not denying the past. What I am is looking towards the future. Because of all the terrible things that happen, so much good has come out. I have become stronger because of what you did to me Gaara and I never blamed you for any of it.

“You met Naruto and through him, saw what you were doing, and who you were back then, was wrong. You changed, and so did I. I endured terrible pain and uncertainty and I came out better for it, so did you. When will you realize Gaara that not everyone hates you, and in fact, can love you and will love you?”

Gaara was silent; his eyes so wide and clear that he looked childlike, was this how lost Gaara felt? Lee felt his heart clench as the first tear broke free and rolled down his cheek. Soon one was joined with two; two was joined by four until Gaara was outright crying, tears falling like raindrops though no sound escaped his lips.

Lee walked forward and pulled Gaara in a hug, and buried his face into the red hair that was as soft as it looked, even in its current state. He could feel Gaara shake violently in his arms, gasping quietly to draw air into his aching lungs.

Lee could not, or maybe he did not want to, stop the pull as he lowered his lips and gently kissed the kanji on Gaara’s forehead. Lee felt Gaara stiffen and for a few long moments as Lee continued to kiss that mark, did Gaara slowly relax, seeming to melt into Lee’s embrace.

Though he would no doubt continue his training with the children in taijutsu, and have to prove over and over again to Suna and to Konoha and everyone he meets, to endure more hardships and pain, it would be worth it

Because no matter what happened, Lee would there for Gaara, he would be a pillar of strength and undying steadfast love for Gaara. He would endure so much to prove to his man how much to deserved to have.

The third gift of the courtship was ongoing but was accepted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The funny thing about this chapter, I actually wrote part of this chapter (about ~1600 words) before I really got serious for the second chapter since I found this one easier to do. But if you read carefully, you can probably find the places where I just got sick of writing this chapter since it was kinda annoying me. (Plus I fell into the rabbit hole that is the Ace Attorney fandom, and god damn do I remember why I love some of the pairings) XD
> 
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> Word Count: 6349, Published: JAN 28, 2021


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